We were driving on a dark, two-lane country highway (MO-79 north of 70, for you locals) and were about to meet an oncoming car, when a 12-point buck lept from the right side of the road, passed within 5-10 feet of our bumper and collided with the left-front side of the oncoming car exactly at the moment we were passing. (at this point, I was braking hard and hitting the shoulder)There was a sickening noise, a cross between a thump and a crack, and the deer flew off the side of the other car, spinning wildly through the air, missing the left-rear of our van by inches before making a landing in the center of our lane right behind the van, just in time to be run completely over by the pickup behind us. I can imagine the damage was extensive to both of the other vehicles, while ours was left untouched.
Had we left the house one second earlier, we'd have hit the deer with the front of the van. One second later and the deer would have slammed into the side of our van.
We were in a perfect one-second window of safety. I can only imagine it's because I have a tremendously keen sense of timing. Ask anyone. Dave time is different than the rest of the world.
Incidentally, the next morning we were headed to the store and a two-car accident happened about 15 feet behind our van as we were passing. What the... ?
4 comments:
I hit a deer once. It nearly totalled my little car. I had to borrow my parents' car while mine was in the body shop and I'll be damned if I didn't hit another one in their car.
Actually, the second one hit me. I was in a line of traffic in broad daylight when it ran out of a field right into the car, and then kept going. Very strange.
Been there, done that. I hit a deer about 20 years ago. Lucky for me, I hit it at such an angle that the deer flew up over the top of my new Thunderbird instead of coming through the windshield. If it had, I probably wouldn't be able to tell you about my experience...
a deer tried to commit suicide in front of my car a while back but i managed to just miss it and thus saved its life.
and a hell of a lot of damage to my truck.
phew :-)
im so glad you guys are alright. poor deer. i have never hit one and hope i never do.
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